Perrie Edwards says she has previously suffered with panic attacks that felt like a “heart attack”, and she struggled to leave the house because of her anxiety.

The Little Mix star said that she felt “like a prisoner in my own head” at the height of her battle with her mental health issues, and told her fans they should not feel alone if they are facing similar problems in an emotional Instagram post.

The 25-year-old pop star wrote: “Over the past few years I have suffered really badly with anxiety and panic attacks.

“When I first started to feel the effects of anxiety I thought I was losing my mind and it terrified me. I felt so alone and like I was the first person in the world to ever experience it.”

Edwards said that her first experience of a panic attack “was so intense and overwhelming I felt like I was having a heart attack, I was so scared and confused and had no idea what was happening to me”.

The former X Factor star said she was not sure what triggered the first one, but that “it soon spiralled and I found myself in a really dark place, feeling alone and scared”.

She added: “I had people around me but I couldn’t explain to them what was happening to me or why. It affected me so badly that I didn’t even want to leave the house. I would step foot out the door and feel the overwhelming need to go straight back inside. It completely took over my life.”

Edwards wrote that the physical attacks have stopped, but she still deals with anxiety and she “probably always will”.

“I’ve had a relationship with my mind for 25 years now, so to feel it working against me sometimes makes me feel like a prisoner in my own head,” she said.

“It feels like the most unnatural thing in the world but the thing that helped me the most was discovering I’m not alone. I’m not the only person going through this. There are people all over the world feeling the exact same way I do.”

The Shout Out To My Ex singer said that she has undergone therapy and has surrounded herself with loved ones, and she relived stress by talking about her problems.

She added: “I restricted my time on social media which often made me feel trapped and claustrophobic. I took control of my life and accepted what I couldn’t control.

“I don’t want to hide it anymore. I suffer from anxiety and I want you to all know if you suffer from anxiety you’re not alone.”